Process



I. S. & 0. E. MERRELL. PROCESS FOR OBTAINING THE SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 19 12.

- 4 Patented July 7, 191

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I APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1912. 1,102,601; Patented July 7, 1914.

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'IBVING s. MERRELL AND OLIVER "EDWARD smut,

, nssranons '10 mnnannnsounn countr A coRPon-Anon on NEW YORK.

ori nal application filed April 4,- 1310,

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, IRVING S. Mnnnnnn and OLIVER E. MERRELL, of' Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, inthe State of New -York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for Obtaining'the I Solids from Liquids, of which the following,

taken in .connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description. Y

This invention relates to a process for obtaining the solids from organic liquids in the form of a substantially dry powder which may be returned again'to its original liquid form by the addition of a suitable amount of Water without any substantial imthe milk ,(whole-or-skimmed) may be con densed or concentrated before subJecting it to the desiccating operation. Cream may also be dried to a powder by the new process.

The present "process is an improvement upon'the invention set forth in United States Letters Patent of Robert Stauf,'No. 666,711,

anuary 29, 1901.

The successful and commercial drying to a powder of such organic substances as milk and eggs having a high moisture content by the spraying process requires that there should be employed a large volumeof air in proper moisture absorbing condition and,

that the drying should be wholly .accoml plished before the powderis separated-from the air and collects upon the receiving or collecting surfaces. It-is also desirable that thetemperature of the current of drying air should beas low as consistent with pro-- ficiency to avoid any substantial alteration in the characteristics of the desiccated prod not.

Also, it is important for commercial practice that the desiccating chamber should be small and that the rapidity of the operation should'be great in order that a large amount of the organic liquid should be dried within a given length of time rnocnss non OBTAINING ma somns mo /r mourns.

Specification 6f Letters i'atent.

Serial No. 555,444. Divmed and this application filed February 16,-

1912. Serial Nb. 678,117.

and eggs, in which the tlcs are substantially preserved.

-desiccating chamber; and D, D are spray nozzles for the organic liquid, suchas milk *tial inlet channelsE, E. These channels are 8 around the air whirling chamber, and of .equal capacity. 'Each channel extends the tion by the cylindrical walls of the air as shown, is horizontal and at right angles her 0, to chamber A,'is conical; so that the Theplural equally. spaced channels E insure velocity. Thewhirling air passes spirally.

or SYRACUS NEW, YORK,

Patented'July 7, 1914 .The present invention consists in a new and noveldesiccating process, preferably carriediout by the apparatus shownin the if drawings, and in an economical and elficient manner for the production of a dried powder from organlc substances, such as milk 6 normal characteris- Suitable apparatus for. carrying out the new process is illustrated in the "accompany-, ingdrawings wherein Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View of so much of the apparatus as is necessary for an understanding of the invention. Fig. 2 is averticaFcross section. Fig. 3 is a detail section of one of the liquid spray nozzles. 7

-A is the desiccating chamber; B is a wind trunk through which heated air is forced into the desiccating chamber by a suitable air blower or :pump; C is. an air whirling chamber between thev wind trunk and the 7 or eggs, which spray the liquid into the desiccating chamber within-an envelop of the whirling air delivered by the air whirl- 8 ingchamber C; v

The air whirling chamber-is circular in cross section, and it receives heated air from the trunk B, through a plurality of tangen shown as four in number equally-spaced length of the cylindrical part of the chamber C, and each has a mouth a, communi- 9 eating with the interiorof the trunk B, and

a discharge port I), communicating with the interior "of chamber 0. The air is forced from the trunkthrough these tangential channels and is-set into rapid whirling .mo- 9 whirling chamber. The axis of chamber C,

to "one of the walls 0, of the desiccating chamber A.- Thepassage f from the cham- 1 outlet opening G, *Of'chamber C, is a circle of less diameter than that of chamber (1.1

a uniform distribution of the air; and the} 1 contracted outlet adds to its discharge throughand oiitof chamber C, andis'sues I, volume of-air of largecapacity enveloping United States and surrounding the portion of the interlor of the desiccatin chamber into which the liquid is sprayed y nozzles D, D.

The spray nozzles may be either air spray nozzles, as shown, or may be hydraulic pressure spray nozzles like .that set forth In application for Letters Patent of the Serial Number 316,115, filed May 10, 1906, of Paul Benevot and Edward De Neveu, which has matured into Patent No. 1,020,632, dated March19, 1912. In case an spra nozzles are employed severalare employs withinthe air whirling chamber, three being shown. In case hydraulic pressure spra nozzles are employed a sin le'one may e employe in the illustrated installation owing to-its greater capacity as compared with the air spray nozzles. Each air-nozzle shown comprises an air outlet and a liquid outlet. The liquid outlet is at the end of a liquid supply pipe'H, which extends beyond the rear wall d of. the trunk B, to the liquidsupply reservoir. The air outlet is at the end of anair pipe I, which surrounds the pipeH, and extends beyond the rear wall d of the trunk B, to any suitable source of compressed air, such as a blower or pump which forces the air through the pipe I, under sufficient pressure to convert the liquid issuing from the pipe H, into a fine spray. These pipes H, I, extend horizontally, and the group of them is centrally located within the c amber G Each pipe I is located within and is sustained by an inclosingtube J, which is has tened to the rear wall (1, of the trunk B.

The rear wall (1, of the trunk B, is. back of the rear wall e, of the air whirling chamber C- The group of tubes J, is surrounded by a cylindrical drum K, centrallyllocated within the air-whirlin chamber and at its rear (at f) to 5m trunk B. -At its forward end it has an air discharge cone L, within the cone F, so that it tree-ted o 'e'ning 9, into the desiccating ch 'ber "The drum K, thus provides direct air passages surrounding the nozzle supporting Ttubes J, from trunk B, to the chamber The drum K, converts chamber. G into an annular passage with concentric outer and inner walls, thus aiding materially in the production of the whirling current of air. The angle of cone F, is more acute than that of cone L, thus contractin the discharge opening G of chamber C, an thereby retarding the escape of the air.

In order that the process and apparatus may be fully understood, the deta' s of one practical installation will be given.

A volumetric air blower capable of, drivlarge volume blower discharge of mg a one hundred and thirty three (133) square of cone F,

opening 'The moisture nous dust collector,

open

has a con- 'within the air whirling of air is employed havinches; and the blower speed is fourteen hundred (1400) revolutions a minute. This requires about four (4) horse power. The.air pressure within the trunk B is three quarters (.75) ounces per squareinch. Such a blower will deliver about twenty-five hundred (2500) cubic feet of air per minute to the desiccat ing chamber. "The internal' length from front to rear of the trunk B is twenty-four (24) inches and its width is thirty two (32) inches. The internal diameter of. chamber 0 is. twenty (20) inches, and thelength of the cylindrical part of said chamber is nineteen and one-ha. f (19%) inches. The height inches; and the internal diameter of the G, is twelve and one-half (12%) inches. The internal diameter of the drum K, is ten (10) inches; the length of the inclined wall of cone L, is five and one-fourth- (525) inches; and the internal diameter of Y the discharge opening of the drum is seven (7 inches. The width of each channel E, is two (2) inches. The desiccating chamber A, is eight and one-half (84;) feet high, eleven (11) feet long from the air-inlet G, to the opposite wall, and is; eight (8) 1 feet wide. laden air passes out through any suitable screened opening or foramisuch as that of the Merrell, Gore and Merrell United States Letters PatentNo. 860,929, July 23, 1907. The air is introduced within the trunk B, after being heated by passageiovcr steam. coils the heating being such that the average temperature within the chamber A, is one hundred and sixty-four (164) degrees Fahrenheit. The external diameter of each tube J, is two and five-eighths (2.625). inches. The inter nal diameter of the liquid outlet from the ipe H, is one-sixteenth (.0625) of an inch,

diameter of the outlet fromp the air pipe I is oneeighth (.125) of an and the internal inch. The pressure of the air supplied to each pipe I is thirty (30) pounds per square inch. The relative location of the outlets from the drum and air whirlin chamber is five andthree-fourths (5.75)-

with respect to the spray nozzle is properly shown in the drawings; the nozzles within the drum outlet; and the drum outlet The screened outlet from the desiccating chamber, the air blowers, and the heating coils are not shown since they may be same as in said Merrell, These details are subject to variation epending upon practical conditions, such as the initial dryness of the air, the amount of V moisture in the milk or other organicliquid,

the quantity to be treated, and the pressure in the steam coils. The amount of air sup plied must be regulated to corre nd with its initial condition, the heating c act of the steam coils and the character and quantity being Gere and Merrell patent.

chamber outlet.

I chamber.

of the liquid to be treated; expertness inwhich can be secured only-through practical experience.

'In operating the present improved process,

eral effect is to thoroughly agitate and spread the rotating mass of air so that the incoming heated, rotated air occupies a large proportion of the space of the desiccating Into the. middle ofthis rotating and agitated advancin mass of moisture absorbing air, the organic liquid is forced by the propelling action of the spraying devices aided by the direct current of surroundingmoisture absorbing air issuing from the.

drum. The force of the spray added to the direct current of air through the drum prevents any portion of the liquid being carried back into the drum or into the air-whirling chamber due to backeddies created h the rotating air. The spray enters the esiceating chamber enveloped and surroundedby the whirlin envelop of heated air and. no particle of t e spray can reach the wallsof the desiccating chamber except by passing through this whirling envelop. n such passage each particle of spray must pass through an extended path, since as soon' as a particle of spray strikes the whirling envelop it is carried aroundfand isnotpermitted to drop directly by gravity onto the floor of the desiccatingchamber. 'Thewhirling air is detained within the desiccat-ing chamber by reason of its rotary motion, there being no direct passage of the rotating air from the air whirling discharge outlet of the desiccating chamber. Hence, the spray is subjected to a long exposure to the heated whirling envelop of air into the middle of which the spray is driven, and there is a thorough dissipation of the. spray so thatever-y particle thereof is subjected to prolonged contact with moisture absorbing air. The result is that when the powder escapes from the air whirl and is eventually deposited upon the outlet screen or upon the walls of the desiccating chamber it is so completely dried that it contains no amount of moisture which is sufiicient to cause any deterioration in the .qualit of the powder when kept for a prolonge perind of time. Indeed, in the case of milk,

it is practicable to so dry the milk powder;

that no moisture can be ascertained to be present beyond the water of crystallization of the milk sugar.

The new process consists in ejecting the )rganic liquid by means of a spray nozzle chamber to the or nozzles into an envelopin whirling massof moisture absorbing air, uringthe passage of such air through a desiccating, separating and collecting chamber. The dry powder is collected within the desiccating chamber and on its outlet screen separated from the air current; while the air and vapor are discharged through the screened outlet separately from the dry powder.

The surrounding air drum-K enveloping the spray nozzle or nozzles is important and useful in any situation where a whirl is imparted to the spray no matter how produced. Thewhirling action creates a vortex causing an inrush of air which. results in the deposit of adhering particles of substance.

treated upon the spraying a aratus which gradually buildup tofa su cient mass to clog each spray nozzle and-stopits operation. This occurs in the absence of the drum 1K.- With this drum present this'difiiculty is obviatedsince the direct current .of enveloping air breaks the vacuum at the center of the vortex and entirely prevents the deposit of particles of the substance ,treated on the spraying apparatus.

e claim: p v

1. The process of deslccating liquids which consists in creating a whirling current of air Within a desiccating chamber; forcibly injecting within such whirling air, in the 'same'general longitudinal direction as the whirling body of air moves, the liquid in a finely divided condition.

2. The process of desiccating liquids which consists in creatin a whirling cur rent of air within adesiccating chamber; introducing within such whirling air, in the same general longitudinal direction as the whirling body of air moves, the liquid in finely divided condition.

3. The recess of desiccatin which conslsts in creating a whir ing body of air within a desiccating chamber; injecting within such whirling air the liquid in a sprayed condition; and also blowing a direct current of air surrounding its spray into said whirling body of air. 4. The which consists in introducing a body of air within a desiccating chamber; injecting within such body of air the liquid in a sprayed condition; imparting a whirling movement to said spray; and also blowing a direct current of air surrounding the spray into said body of air. a v

5. The rocess ofdesiccating liquids which consists in injecting into a desiccati-ng chamber'the liquid in a sprayed condi-- .tion; imparting a whirling movement to said spray; and alsoblowing adirect cur- 'rent of air surrounding-the spray into said body of air.

. 6. The races; of desiccating liquids which conslsts in introducing a body. of air-Q liquids rocess of desiccatingi-liquids i snrroundin and enveloping the fincl di- 10 vided liqui into said chamber. I

. In witness whereof we have hereunto set 1 our hands this 14th day of February 1912. I IRVING'S. MERRELL.

OLIVER EDWARD MERRELL. Witnesses:

' EUGENE A. Tnomrson,

H. E. CHASE.

within a desiccatin chamber; in'ecting within such body 0% air the liqui in a sprayed condition; and also blowing a direct current of air surrounding the spray into said body of air. 1 t

' "I. The process of desiocatfng liquids which consists in injecting into a desiccating chamber the li uid in a finely divided i condition; and in orcing a current of air 

